But if you wanted to talk about poetry, Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men" Anissa named her pet dog, Lynny, after Lenny in the story or just about anything else, and, she was a great listener, then you had a chance of making a new friend. And she was as smart as anyone you ever met.
Divorce hurts kids a million times worse than it hurts battling parents, the worse the fights, the more hate, the more damaged the kids will be. John had a drinking problem. Paula was a domineering woman, like John's mother. The two women never got along. John was very smart working a good job a Hughes Aircraft and teaching at USC. John couldn't please Paula who wanted to run the family and yet complained that John was not a strong manly figure.
After the divorce, after John moved back to Playa del Rey, 12-year-old Paul got into trouble from time to time, once he borrowed another boy's moped for a joyride. Police took him to the station, impounded the moped and Mom had to bail him out. His friend admitted that it was OK with him if Paul borrowed the moped, which could only released to the other boy's parents, since neither boy had a driver's license.
A much more serious incident occurred at Orville Wright Junior High School. Paul when another boy and Paul had been fighting. A few punches had been thrown. At lunch one day, Paul picked up a salt shaker and threw it at the other boy, hitting him in the head. Both boys went to the principal's office and parents were called. The other boy's Mom demanded police be called, but the principal was able to calm her down.
Paula was so rattled by the experience, that she called John to come and speak to his son. John showed up and immediately blamed Paula for the trouble and stuck up for Paul. John even egged Paul on to smart off to his Mom, which quickly devolved into name calling.
This is what immediately led to both kids choosing to go stay with their dad. A few days later he went to court for a custody hearing. John had a drinking problem, but also seemed to have read Dale Carnegie, not Dr. Spock. After winning custody he allowed 12-year-old Paul to play hooky. Anissa was so happy to spend time with her friends that she went every day and her grades improved.
Eventually, John and Paul were called into the principal's office and later to Juvenile Court over his truancy problem. Mr. Gordon who owned Gordon's Market, would later say in court, Paul ran around wearing dirty clothes and usually needed a bath. Mr. Gordon had a few run ins with Paul and his friends over five finger discounts. Mr. Gordon gave instructions to his clerks to give Paul and his friends very close attention whenever they came into the store. Mr. Gordon said living with John was not the best thing for Paul. No supervision was a million times worse than a strict mother. He told the judge that he adored both kids, he spoke out because he cared about them. He knew them long before Hollywood came knocking.
Paul may have finally gone to school out of necessity, but his grades were horrific, despite a very intelligent mind. The only thing he cared about was surfing and drugs. This had always been the major problem between Paul and Paula, She pressured him to take school seriously, while John didn't.
Anissa Jones was a star on the hit CBS TV Show Family Affair. Because of logistics problems, Anissa's brother, Paul, would accompany Anissa and their mother to the studio everyday. Paul was about a year younger than Anissa was. One of the most interesting things about Anissa's relationship with her brother was a policy that Anissa adopted concerning gifts. She constantly received gifts. but Anissa let it be known: if you brought her a present and didn't have one for her brother: she would accept the gift; but, the second you left, she would give your gift away.
Earl Graham was the janitor on the set of the show Family Affair. When he passed away during the third year of the show, the cast and crew attended his funeral. By the following Monday, everyone was ready to get back to work. To Anissa it seemed like everyone was acting like Earl had never existed at all. But to Anissa, Earl was a very special man; for her things would never be the same. Earl had been a juggler and magician earlier in his career. When things were slow on the set, Earl would juggle and do magic to keep the children entertained. He always had time to speak to the kids. Earl never differentiated between stars and extras on the set. To him, they were just children: children he loved.
Anissa went to her mother and asked if she could take an ad out in Variety saying good-bye to her good friend. The ad cost Anissa $400.00. Anissa's Mom says to this day that was one of her proudest moments as a mother; and one of Anissa's finest moments as a woman. I agree with both assessments
When Anissa turned 18, one of the first things she did was buy a car. Anissa asked Paul, her 16 year old brother, to come with her. They went to Cal Worthington's Ford Dealer in Long Beach, CA. Anissa bought herself a Ford Pinto, the least expensive car made in America.
According to a profile published in the Sacramento Bee in 1990, Worthington grossed $316.8 million in 1988, making him at the time the largest single owner of a car dealership chain. His advertising agency, named Spot Advertising, had Worthington as its only client and spent $15 million on commercials, the most of any auto dealer at the time. He sold automobiles from 1945 until his death and owned a 24,000-acre (9,700 ha; 38 sq mi) ranch located in Orland, California, north of Sacramento. Even from Atlanta, I had heard about Cal's commercials which were world famous; to give you the flavor. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vi_BHHY5A8M
When she completed the paper work, Anissa told Paul that they were going for a drive. She drove to the nearest Chevrolet Dealer; where she proceeded to buy Paul a loaded Camaro, a car which cost nearly twice as much as her car did. Paul hadn't seen it coming: he broke down and cried. Even though Paul was 6'2" and Anissa was 4'11", Paul never doubted that Anissa was his big sister, because she earned it. He knew that height is only a measure of altitude, but stature is a measure of character
After Anissa quit acting, Brian Keith wrote her a letter in which he offered her a starring adult role as a nurse on The Brian Keith Show. Anissa was only fourteen at the time. He told Anissa that she didn't even have to audition for the part: it was hers if she wanted it. Friends say that Anissa had come to hate acting because Hollywood would never let her grow up; obviously, to Brian, she already had. One of the treasures of my research was discovering a postcard that Brian mailed Anissa in 1972, over a year after the end of Family Affair. His recent divorce, his children's reaction to it, and their experimentation with drugs occupied much of his time and thoughts. Given the opportunity to go to China, right after Nixon and Kissinger, he leapt at it. By anyone's analysis, visiting China was the cultural experience of a lifetime; almost sensory overload. Somehow, during this experience of a lifetime, Brian had the presence of mind, found the time, and had the thoughtfulness to send Anissa the following postcard:
Dear Babe,
Thinking of You,
Love Bri
A Personal Note: I am reminded of the Hollywood Executive who would have his secretary type his name on his children's birthday cards. Brian Keith was an Ex-Marine and an all around good guy. If he liked you, you knew it; if he didn't, you knew that too. Anissa knew how Brian felt about her. She kept every letter and postcard he ever sent her. In the middle of China, he must have kept her address in his wallet or, quite possibly, memorized it. I think that says it all.
Anissa with her Savings Bonds and A real birthday cake at Mom's and Winchell's Donuts where she worked after Anissa turned 18, she went out and got her own apartment. She chose to live in Playa Del Rey, only a few minutes from her Mom's front door. She could have moved to Hawaii, near Brian. Anissa loved Brian and she loved Hawaii. Anissa spent the happiest vacation of her life there. She said so herself in a letter to a friend.
One of the most beautiful pictures I have ever seen of Anissa, with her hair windswept, and comes from a vacation that she spent in Hawaii*.
But she didn't choose to live in Hawaii, when it was her choice; seems rather curious doesn't it?
Anissa was a very interesting woman. She hated publicity and she hated the publicity tours she was forced to go on; but one of the people she loved most in the world was Les Kaufman, the publicist for Fedderson Productions. Even after Family Affair finished its run, he continued to write Anissa and her brother Paul letters expressing the love and concern that he felt for them. The feeling must have been mutual. On a picture of Anissa hugging Les, Anissa has written in her own hand "Les Is More".
Anissa was actually a very complicated woman, and had very little in common with the character she portrayed on TV.
Anissa also chose a very interesting person to share her apartment with her: her brother, Paul. Some people were really surprised by that, but I'm not. She could have chosen any one of several girlfriends, or just about any boy in Playa Del Rey: Anissa was very well liked and she only got more beautiful as she got older: she had grown into a very beautiful woman. She could have chosen anyone; but she chose her brother? Because Paul was not only Anissa's brother, he was also her best friend and she trusted him..
Anyone who thinks that they knew Anissa and doesn't know that, never knew her at all.
*The photo of Anissa at the window is my second favorite photo because it seems so hopeful. A window
When is a metaphor for the future, and as Anissa is smiling, that, to me, means hope and what might have been.
Anissa at home in her room, not quite what you expected, is it? Connie, one of Anissa and Paul's babysitters, is pictured with her.
Anissa Jones once described her brother, Paul, as one of the smartest people she had ever met. His friends described him as a "Surfing Einstein". But far too many people see Paul the same way they see his sister Anissa: "drugs, drugs, drugs". I think those people are "wrong, wrong, wrong". To remember someone only on the basis of their problems, seems to be a horribly unjust thing to do. Tommy Blair retired from the Navy lived in the neighborhood and loved working on his car. He would drop by to see if Paul was available to offer him a little help, whether he needed it nor. He was one of the few people who gave his time to Paul and tried to be a constructive influence in his life. He went with Paula to pick Paul up from Juvenile Hall. It broke his heart that at 18, after the death of Anissa he had become a lost soul. Anissa loved Tommy too. She would cook and make extra for Tommy, whenever he was lacking female companionship.
Not everyone thought that: Steve Lodge was a member of the crew on Family Affair and subsequently became very close to the family. He was Uncle Steve to Anissa and Paul and a real friend to their Mother. You can read in the letters that he wrote to the kids(and he did write a lot of letters and cards to them), but most especially to Paul, showing how wonderful he considered them and how much he loved them. He cherishes their memory and misses them to this day.
Les Kaufman was the Publicist for Family Affair and would accompany Anissa and her Mother on the Publicity trips that Fedderson Productions sent Anissa on 39 weeks a year. The second shooting was done for the week Anissa would have some publicity event to do. I have always objected that this was an incredible amount of time to take a child away from their friends. Anissa's first duty was to be a normal child and enjoy life. Not to be a product marketed by a Hollywood Production Company.
Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher, the producers of Leave It To Beaver, would only let Jerry Mathers and Tony Dow go on one publicity trip a year to New York. They always said everyone treated Jerry and Tony like they were their own kids. The truly great thing is that that is the way Jerry and Tony saw it too. Hugh Beaumont and Barbara Billingsley have said that everyone on that show considered themselves one big family. I think it shows. Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher got it right.
The one saving grace for Anissa was the man that Les Kaufman was. He was a wonderful human being. I will give you an example of what kind of man he was. He had a firm rule: when he, Paula and Anissa returned from a trip, they didn't consider the trip over until they threw down their luggage and sent someone to find Paul. Paul almost never went on these trips himself. He would stay home with the housekeeper. He preferred it that way. He considered the trips boring. When they found him, Paul got to choose the place where they went to eat.
Among his favorites were Shakey's Pizza on Jefferson at Sepulveda and an Armenian Restaurant. Paul loved food. Anissa used to complain that he ate like a pig and never put on a pound, she could look at food and put on weight. One night they went to the Armenian Restaurant and Paul was ravenous: he started with ten stuffed grape leaves and went on from there. The bill skyrocketed past $100.00 and all Les could do was laugh his head off; all the time Paul's Mom was dying of embarrassment. Oh, by the way, the dinners weren't on the company's dime either; they were coming out of Les' pocket. Like Steve, Les loved Anissa and her family: he didn't mind.
He would write Paul letters and cards long after Family Affair, and long after Anissa died. I saw a card from only a weeks before Paul died. Just like Steve. Their love was real.
I like Paul as much as I like Anissa. Paul wrote a wonderfully "unique", clever Christmas Card. He sent it to someone who has in turn given it to me; I consider it hilarious and will always treasure it. I would have loved to have a brother like Paul. And I know that I would have been the lucky one.
For the last six years of his life Paul had a very beautiful, intelligent girlfriend. This woman stuck with Paul through his darkest hours, and his brightest days. She was with him until the very end, because she loved him. She saw Paul as a kind, gentle soul. This woman is now a very successful professional. A few years ago she did the most extraordinary thing: she took a month off from her highly paid professional career and went to Machu Picchu. She lived in a peasant hut for a month and sought the solace and enlightenment at this Shangri-La of the America's. To understand Paul Jones, you have to understand that. And if you don't, then you are like most people...Paul Jones was never like most people.
Anissa Jones had a special nickname for Brian Keith: Anissa called him "Bri, Bri, The French Fry," you can see the real love between them. Brian would later offer Anissa a role on the Brian Keith Show (1976) as a nurse. She would come to Hawaii to visit him that year. Brian lost his eight-year-old son, Michael James Keith, in 1963. Friends said they hadn't see the sparkle he had watching Michael until he met Anissa.
After Anissa quit acting, Brian Keith wrote her a letter in which he offered her a starring adult role as a nurse on The Brian Keith Show. Anissa was only fourteen at the time. He told Anissa that she didn't even have to audition for the part: it was hers if she wanted it. Friends say that Anissa had come to hate acting because Hollywood would never let her grow up; obviously, to Brian, she already had. One of the treasures of my research was discovering a postcard that Brian mailed Anissa in 1972, over a year after the end of Family Affair. His recent divorce, his children's reaction to it, and their experimentation with drugs occupied much of his time and thoughts. Given the opportunity to go to China, right after Nixon and Kissinger, he leapt at it. By anyone's analysis, visiting China was the cultural experience of a lifetime; almost sensory overload. Somehow, during this experience of a lifetime, Brian had the presence of mind, found the time, and had the thoughtfulness to send Anissa the following postcard:
Dear Babe,
Thinking of You,
Love Bri
A Personal Note: I am reminded of the Hollywood Executive who would have his secretary type his name on his children's birthday cards. Brian Keith was an Ex-Marine and an all around good guy. If he liked you, you knew it; if he didn't, you knew that too. Anissa knew how Brian felt about her. She kept every letter and postcard he ever sent her. In the middle of China, he must have kept her address in his wallet or, quite possibly, memorized it. I think that says it all.
Anissa with her Savings Bonds and A real birthday cake at Mom's and Winchell's Donuts where she worked after Anissa turned 18, she went out and got her own apartment. She chose to live in Playa Del Rey, only a few minutes from her Mom's front door. She could have moved to Hawaii, near Brian. Anissa loved Brian and she loved Hawaii. Anissa spent the happiest vacation of her life there. She said so herself in a letter to a friend.
One of the most beautiful pictures I have ever seen of Anissa, with her hair windswept, and comes from a vacation that she spent in Hawaii*.
But she didn't choose to live in Hawaii, when it was her choice; seems rather curious doesn't it?
Anissa was a very interesting woman. She hated publicity and she hated the publicity tours she was forced to go on; but one of the people she loved most in the world was Les Kaufman, the publicist for Fedderson Productions. Even after Family Affair finished its run, he continued to write Anissa and her brother Paul letters expressing the love and concern that he felt for them. The feeling must have been mutual. On a picture of Anissa hugging Les, Anissa has written in her own hand "Les Is More".
Anissa was actually a very complicated woman, and had very little in common with the character she portrayed on TV.
Anissa also chose a very interesting person to share her apartment with her: her brother, Paul. Some people were really surprised by that, but I'm not. She could have chosen any one of several girlfriends, or just about any boy in Playa Del Rey: Anissa was very well liked and she only got more beautiful as she got older: she had grown into a very beautiful woman. She could have chosen anyone; but she chose her brother? Because Paul was not only Anissa's brother, he was also her best friend and she trusted him..
Anyone who thinks that they knew Anissa and doesn't know that, never knew her at all.
*The photo of Anissa at the window is my second favorite photo because it seems so hopeful. A window
When is a metaphor for the future, and as Anissa is smiling, that, to me, means hope and what might have been.
Anissa at home in her room, not quite what you expected, is it? Connie, one of Anissa and Paul's babysitters, is pictured with her.
Anissa Jones once described her brother, Paul, as one of the smartest people she had ever met. His friends described him as a "Surfing Einstein". But far too many people see Paul the same way they see his sister Anissa: "drugs, drugs, drugs". I think those people are "wrong, wrong, wrong". To remember someone only on the basis of their problems, seems to be a horribly unjust thing to do. Tommy Blair retired from the Navy lived in the neighborhood and loved working on his car. He would drop by to see if Paul was available to offer him a little help, whether he needed it nor. He was one of the few people who gave his time to Paul and tried to be a constructive influence in his life. He went with Paula to pick Paul up from Juvenile Hall. It broke his heart that at 18, after the death of Anissa he had become a lost soul. Anissa loved Tommy too. She would cook and make extra for Tommy, whenever he was lacking female companionship.
Not everyone thought that: Steve Lodge was a member of the crew on Family Affair and subsequently became very close to the family. He was Uncle Steve to Anissa and Paul and a real friend to their Mother. You can read in the letters that he wrote to the kids(and he did write a lot of letters and cards to them), but most especially to Paul, showing how wonderful he considered them and how much he loved them. He cherishes their memory and misses them to this day.
Les Kaufman was the Publicist for Family Affair and would accompany Anissa and her Mother on the Publicity trips that Fedderson Productions sent Anissa on 39 weeks a year. The second shooting was done for the week Anissa would have some publicity event to do. I have always objected that this was an incredible amount of time to take a child away from their friends. Anissa's first duty was to be a normal child and enjoy life. Not to be a product marketed by a Hollywood Production Company.
Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher, the producers of Leave It To Beaver, would only let Jerry Mathers and Tony Dow go on one publicity trip a year to New York. They always said everyone treated Jerry and Tony like they were their own kids. The truly great thing is that that is the way Jerry and Tony saw it too. Hugh Beaumont and Barbara Billingsley have said that everyone on that show considered themselves one big family. I think it shows. Joe Connelly and Bob Mosher got it right.
The one saving grace for Anissa was the man that Les Kaufman was. He was a wonderful human being. I will give you an example of what kind of man he was. He had a firm rule: when he, Paula and Anissa returned from a trip, they didn't consider the trip over until they threw down their luggage and sent someone to find Paul. Paul almost never went on these trips himself. He would stay home with the housekeeper. He preferred it that way. He considered the trips boring. When they found him, Paul got to choose the place where they went to eat.
Among his favorites were Shakey's Pizza on Jefferson at Sepulveda and an Armenian Restaurant. Paul loved food. Anissa used to complain that he ate like a pig and never put on a pound, she could look at food and put on weight. One night they went to the Armenian Restaurant and Paul was ravenous: he started with ten stuffed grape leaves and went on from there. The bill skyrocketed past $100.00 and all Les could do was laugh his head off; all the time Paul's Mom was dying of embarrassment. Oh, by the way, the dinners weren't on the company's dime either; they were coming out of Les' pocket. Like Steve, Les loved Anissa and her family: he didn't mind.
He would write Paul letters and cards long after Family Affair, and long after Anissa died. I saw a card from only a weeks before Paul died. Just like Steve. Their love was real.
I like Paul as much as I like Anissa. Paul wrote a wonderfully "unique", clever Christmas Card. He sent it to someone who has in turn given it to me; I consider it hilarious and will always treasure it. I would have loved to have a brother like Paul. And I know that I would have been the lucky one.
For the last six years of his life Paul had a very beautiful, intelligent girlfriend. This woman stuck with Paul through his darkest hours, and his brightest days. She was with him until the very end, because she loved him. She saw Paul as a kind, gentle soul. This woman is now a very successful professional. A few years ago she did the most extraordinary thing: she took a month off from her highly paid professional career and went to Machu Picchu. She lived in a peasant hut for a month and sought the solace and enlightenment at this Shangri-La of the America's. To understand Paul Jones, you have to understand that. And if you don't, then you are like most people...Paul Jones was never like most people.
Anissa Jones had a special nickname for Brian Keith: Anissa called him "Bri, Bri, The French Fry," you can see the real love between them. Brian would later offer Anissa a role on the Brian Keith Show (1976) as a nurse. She would come to Hawaii to visit him that year. Brian lost his eight-year-old son, Michael James Keith, in 1963. Friends said they hadn't see the sparkle he had watching Michael until he met Anissa.
Anissa and Paul had their own menagerie of Pets. When one of their cats(Tiger, a gift from Brian) had kittens, they named two of the kittens after Sebastian Cabot. One was called "Sabby", which was Sebastian's nickname, and a female kitten was named Sabrina. After the kittens were weaned, Anissa wrote up a wonderful questionnaire for anyone seeking to adopt one of her kittens. Anissa was a very thoughtful child, and she always kept the welfare of others close to her heart, even when it came to her pets..
During the height of Anissa's career, Anissa's Mom remembers being at a shopping center in Los Angeles when they were swamped with autograph seekers. She remembers looking at Anissa who was signing autographs, but only recalls that she had a frown on her face. Following Anissa's gaze, she saw that Anissa was staring at her brother Paul who been shunted aside by the autograph seekers, and who had obviously had his feelings hurt. She understood: when someone hurt Anissa's brother, they hurt Anissa.
In 1971 during the last season of Family Affair, Brian Keith told Anissa told Anissa to be very gentle when she sat in his lap for a scene that day because he had just had surgery. Anissa asked what kind of operation he had. Brian paused for a second and then told Anissa that he had had a vasectomy. Anissa told Brian not to worry, she knew what that was and that she would be especially careful. Brian always treated Anissa with respect and like an adult, and she never failed to act like one around him.
It wasn't "The Caine Mutiny", but it was about strawberries: Anissa had had a long day at the studio and was looking forward to eating some strawberries that were in the refrigerator. When she got home, she found out that Paul had eaten two pints of strawberries all by himself and there weren't any left for her. Just then Paul walked in and Anissa started screaming at him about how selfish he was. Paul started to cry and ran into his room. Anissa followed him. A while later, their Mom checked on them: they were in Paul's room hugging each other and crying. Anissa knew Paul was just hungry and ate what was available. One day Anissa came home from the studio and found her doll Victoria hanging from a noose connected to a rafter in the kitchen. Anissa screamed when she saw it, proceeded to rescue her doll and then went hunting for Paul. When she found him, she beat the hell out of him.
Anissa Jones was like every other kid growing up in the 1960's, she had her crushes and unrequited romances. One of the great memories of her childhood was the 1966 Emmys. Anissa asked Jimmy Durante to introduce her to The Monkees, so she could meet Davy Jones. Jimmy Durante was a sweet guy. They had met sometime earlier on "The Hollywood Palace" and liked each other immediately. Jimmy took Anissa back stage after the show ended and introduced her to Davy. Anissa had a very serious crush on him and was thrilled to finally get a chance to meet him. There were/are a million other girls who know exactly how she felt.
With the focus on Anissa career while she was on Family Affair, and the fact that their father had made little effort to stay in touch with his children during his second marriage; Anissa and Paul's Mom made a concerted effort to make sure that Paul wasn't overlooked and got the attention he needed. She and Les Kaufman, got Paul a "Big Brother" from Big Brothers of America. One day Paul's "Big Brother" was late coming to the house, and Paul's Mom asked Paul if he wanted her to call to see what was holding him up. Paul said "no, he didn't care if he came or not, because all he ever does is dumps me on the beach and goes to pick up girls". Paul's Mom called Les and said that we need to get Paul a new "Big Brother". The new "Big Brother" was named Fred Peitri and he worked for Wells Fargo. He would take Paul camping, motorbike riding and to sporting events. One time Paul came home with a ferocious sun burn, after a day motorbike riding in the desert with Fred. Worried that Paul was in pain from his sun burn, his Mom asked if she could put some lotion on it; Paul said he didn't care, he had had the most fun he had ever had in his life and he hadn't even noticed the sun burn.
When Paul's Dad died, his Mom called Fred, who came immediately. He went for a walk with Paul: when they came back Paul's eyes were red from crying. For a boy of those times, you would never cry in front of anyone except someone you trusted implicitly. In an address book Paul kept in his wallet until the day he died are listed the names, addresses and phone numbers for Fred Peitri, Les Kaufman, Steve Lodge, and Brian Keith.
When Paul and Anissa's friend Tony Macchado was killed in a surfing accident, Paul and his Mom took a hundred dollars and donated it to Big Brothers of America in Tony's Memory. Paul kept his personal feelings deeply hidden, you would only know his pain if you were paying very close attention.
When Paul died, two of his neighbors sent Paula a prayer card which showed that they had had Masses and Rosary's said in his memory. They also included a very beautiful note in which they said while fate is sometimes very cruel, especially when we lose a child; in the end, all we can do for a child with a drug problem, is hug them, hold them and let them know that they are loved. Anissa and Paul always knew that they were loved. Vy and Bernie loved Paul and Anissa. Many neighbors remember seeing Paul walking around town with 70 year old Bernie; everyone believed he was Paul's grandfather. For a surfer like Paul, that was an eloquent statement of love. I think that is the coolest thing Paul ever did. When Vy was very ill a couple of years ago, Paul's Mom went to see her. Vy's first question was "how is Paul?" She was over 90 at the time and died shortly after that. Paul was in her heart until the day she died. When Anissa died, Paul moved back in with his mother from the apartment he had shared with Anissa. His Mom remembers hearing him cry himself to sleep for months after Anissa died. Everyone I have ever talked to has said that Anissa's death broke Paul's heart. Paul Jones died of a heart attack at age 24 in March of 1984, brought on by an overdose of speed. By that time, he had lost everything to his drug habit, except the house he lived in, in Marina del Rey, which he jointly owned with his mother, and a two ounce gold ring that his Mom had made for him. Inside the ring were his initials PJ. You can see it in the photo above taken only a few weeks before his death. There is no greater evidence of how Paul felt about his Mom: Paul wore that ring until the day he died. No matter how bad things got, he would never part with that ring. And there are no words eloquent enough to express the love that it represented. When Anissa died, her Mom used Anissa's money to buy Paul a house so he would always have a place to live, and I believe that is exactly what Anissa would have wanted.
The Night That Anissa Died
Drugs present in Anissa's system the night she died:
Cocaine: a stimulant which gives you a rush and a feeling of euphoria
Phencyclidine(PCP): mind altering drug and stimulant. On Phil Donahue in the 1970's, Jack Klugman was speaking of his new series Quincy. He said he intended to make it realistic. One of the writers was a neighbor and friend of Anissa's, and he wrote an episode about PCP and a girl who OD's on it. Jack said the writer wrote this episode in memory of Anissa. Another Quincy episode was about a Doctor catering to the drug market, by prescribing drugs to anyone with the money to buy them. Deja vous all over again.
Quaalude: tranquilizer which gives a feeling of euphoria; clouds judgement.
Seconol: a very powerful barbiturate, or sleeping pill, clouds judgement.
Alcohol: inhibition compromising and judgement impairing drug.
I have spoken to a drug counselor, and a couple of people that I know who have had first hand experience with drugs:
PCP and Cocaine are stimulants, and while they were only present in small amounts in Anissa's system when she died, she probably had already metabolized a great deal of them before she died. While it is unclear exactly how much of these two drugs she took; Anissa's problem sleeping is readily apparent. You take stimulants and you are going to have trouble sleeping. It is that simple. There were the remnants of six Seconol capsules(><) in her digestive tract. Not a fatal dose by anyone's analysis. Secondly alcohol and PCP impair your judgment and were present in Anissa's system. Quaaludes are tranquilizers, they impair your judgment and give you a feeling of euphoria. Quaaludes were the drug of choice for kids who wanted to get stoned in the 1970's.
Seconol also impairs judgment. A lot of the people who OD on Seconol do so because they take some, forget they have already taken some, and take more. These are not suicides, they are accidental overdoses. Just as the coroner said in Anissa's case. Anissa took three drugs which impaired her judgment and she had been drinking alcohol. She took the Seconol to get some sleep. She couldn't sleep because of the PCP and Cocaine. So she took more Seconol. Then someone suggested the idea of opening the capsules and taking the powder straight, because that way the Seconol will take effect much more quickly.
I asked a drug counselor about this. She said that is the dumbest thing she ever heard, and she has heard it quite often. There is no objective way to gauge dosage from a pile of powder. What she took previously, and what she took as powder; and the fact that she was 4'11"/90 lbs is what killed her. What happened August 28 was a tragic accident, no more, no less; and so stupid.
But, remember, without one Doctor from Torrance nothing would have happened that night. Anissa went to him for Quaaludes(tranquilizer), because she wanted to get stoned. This Doctor ran his own dispensary, because he was didn't want any pharmacists questioning his prescriptions. His dispensary was out of Quaaludes; so he substituted Seconol a powerful barbiturate, or sleeping pill. No Doctor in the practice would even try to justify the substitution of a barbiturate for a tranquilizer. If he had given Anissa what she wanted, all Anissa would have done that night was get stoned.
To me, this Doctor murdered Anissa, exactly the same way Carroll O'Connor spoke of the man responsible for his son Hugh's death. I call this Doctor "A Merchant Of Death". A Venice policeman told me that this Doctor would sell drugs to anyone, including kids, with enough money to buy them; that is my definition of a pusher. Kids used to line up around the block to buy drugs from him at his medical office. This policeman also told me that LAPD believes that between 30-35 kids OD'd from drugs that this doctor provided legally; Anissa is just one of his them. LAPD and the FBI had him under surveillance. Kids knew exactly what this Doctor was doing; LAPD knew what he was doing, The Los Angeles Times knew what he was doing, and E! knew who this doctor was and what he had been doing when they made E! True Hollywood Stories/Family Affair: The Anissa Jones Story. And yet they never mentioned him once.
Strange, very strange.
He lost a malpractice suit over Anissa's death(he had no justification for giving Anissa any drugs, much less the powerful sleeping pill Seconol). After Anissa's death he was indicted for criminal distribution of controlled substances. Only his death before trial saved him from jail. And E! True Hollywood Stories doesn't even mention him? Anissa Mom and Brother were awarded damages against the doctor's estate.
A Poem By Anissa Jones
I'll give you my love for a penny,
I'll give you my heart for a song,
I'll give you my hugs and kisses for free,
But my soul belongs to me.
Shooting a TV show or movie in Hollywood involves a lot of sitting and waiting while the crew sets up for the next scene. It may take a couple of hours to set up for a scene that only last 90 seconds. Anissa found this "lag" interval incredibly boring and a waste of her time. Anissa was the kind of person who would do something about it: She decided to put this "lost" time to good use by volunteering to help one of the secretaries at Fedderson Productions by running errands and doing filing for her. This secretary always marveled that a TV Star was her gopher, and treasured Anissa for being the sweet, thoughtful, industrious girl that she was: someone who never got caught up in being in being "Hollywood" or thought of herself as a star.
Anissa was loved and treasured by almost everyone that knew her, from Brian and Sebastian, the stars of Family Affair, to the janitor, Earl Graham, who swept the stages and emptied the trash. But the thing almost everyone remembers is how much the crew loved her, from Steve Lodge who was the Assistant Costumer, to Florence Bush, the Hairdresser. She loved to gossip about everyone and anyone with anyone, but it was never mean gossip. When Anissa was bored, she would go to Ms. Bush to find out the latest scoop.
One day Anissa learned that the child of one of the crew was very sick. Just before shooting ended for the day, Anissa snuck out to Lucille Ball's flower garden and picked some flowers for this crew member to take home to his daughter. When Anissa presented the flowers to him, this crew member hugged her and said that he didn't ever want to let her go... Whenever this crew member would go fishing after this, and he loved to fish, he would always bring in some of his catch for Anissa and her family to eat. He never forgot what she did, and treasured Anissa's beautiful sweet nature, and for just being who she was.
Lucy's Office at Desilu Studios, where some of her
flowers went missing thanks to Anissa.
Anissa Jones was the same person on the set and off. But she never mixed her two worlds: the second filming was done for the day, down came her pig-tails. There are no pictures of Anissa in pigtails, when she wasn't shooting Family Affair, after age ten.
Anissa almost died of embarrassment when a script called for a girl scout troop in a scene and, to save money, the producers asked if Anissa's girl scout troop could be used in the episode. Anissa hated the idea. Although Brian and Sebastian worked very hard to make Anissa's friends feel welcome, and even though her troop had a great time, Anissa was miserable and was glad when it was finally over. .
Charles Barton, the director of Family Affair, loved Anissa Jones(the feeling was mutual: Charles Barton stood five feet five; he and Anissa had become friends immediately). Charles Barton knew that Anissa wasn't someone to suffer fools lightly and not a person to keep her opinions to herself. On more than one occasion Anissa would offer her favorite gripe about how insipid the dialogue written for "Buffy" was. I think the reason Anissa complained so much was that she was almost 13, portraying a 7 year old; she resented the fact that she was never allowed to grow up on the show. Brian exercised some of his prerogative as part owner of the show, and got Anissa into blue jeans once in a while: she hated the little girl dresses she had to wear. On one occasion, Anissa objected particularly strongly to some dialogue between "Buffy" and "Jody". Anissa told Mr. Barton that real brothers and sisters never said anything that stupid to each other. Anissa also told Mr. Barton that she had a real brother, and she knew what was phony and what wasn't.
Mr. Barton pointed out to Anissa that she was being paid a lot of money to act. People have jobs and they have to be paid to do them, because they wouldn't do them if they weren't paid to do them. If she really wanted to contribute to this script, he would hold up shooting so she could go down to UCLA, take some classes, get a degree in screenwriting, then she should come back and he would give her time to write her version of the script and then they could start filming again. Until then, he was going to let the writers write, and the actors act. Anissa looked at him for a moment with a rather blank expression on her face and then burst out laughing, everyone joined in. Anissa is the one that told that story, on herself. She didn't take herself too seriously, and knew how to laugh at herself.
Almost no one knows this, but Anissa was as blind as a bat, and yet in over 5,000 pictures there is only one picture of Anissa wearing glasses. She needed them, trust me. Anissa used to sit three feet to watch TV. She only wore glasses at school. Anissa's Grandmother(Mom's Mom) took the picture of Anissa making a spectacle of herself: Anissa adored her Grandmother and could refuse her nothing, no matter how embarrassing it was, because she knew how much her Grandmother loved her.
On at least one of my birthday's, I know exactly what Anissa was doing, getting her student ID
One thing to bear in mind, in many ways, Paula Jones tried to make sure her kids had a normal lives Anissa was a girl scout and encourage Anissa and Paul to explore religion for themselves. Anissa went with friends to a variety of churches looking for her own answers. No one in this story is all good or all bad.
Footnotes:
When Anissa would take someone shopping, two quaint personality traits revealed themselves. First, if she was buying something for someone else, price didn't matter. She wouldn't even look at the price tag. If her friend wanted something, that was good enough for Anissa. She was as generous a friend as anyone could ever have. If she was buying something for herself, however, Anissa would spend hours hunting for the best bargain. Going from store to store, looking for the right thing at the right price.
One time her mother went with Anissa to buy jewelry for a jewelry box which Brian Keith had given her. They went shopping for hours. As they were getting in the car to go home, Anissa's Mom burst out laughing. After all that time and effort, and about ten full shopping bags, Anissa had bought something for everyone, buy not one thing for herself. That is who Anissa Jones was....
Anissa went to see Lady Sings The Blues starring Diana Ross with some of her friends. It is a very emotional movie, and Anissa cried, for which her friends teased her unmercifully. Even though she was living with her Dad at the time, Anissa wanted to see the movie again and asked her Mom to take her. She cried unabashedly throughout the movie with the one person that she knew wouldn't tease her. Anissa's favorite movies were Romances, and she loved The Great Gatsby best, and considered it her favorite movie of all time.
Sometimes the Family Affair cast would have to shoot through lunch or dinner. A member of the crew would take the cast member's order and get their free food from the cafeteria. Anissa had a standing rule, she wouldn't let anyone get food for her, unless she could order lunch/dinner for them at the same time, and at company expense. She never hid what she did from anyone: she did it because she knew it was right. The crew was forced to work late, or work through their lunch too: if she got a free meal, the crew deserved one too. Walk with Kings and not lose the common touch.
Anissa hated her freckles. When she turned 18, she went to a plastic surgeon to have them removed from her arms and legs. Her mother and brother had called the Doctor in advance and begged him to talk her out of it. Fortunately, the Doctor was able to convince Anissa that her freckles were a part of what made her unique, and in his opinion were one of the things that made her so very beautiful.
What about the freckles on her face? Anissa's logic about them was sound, too. She said that other people had to see them. As long as she didn't have to look at them, she didn't mind them that much
Anissa's brother Paul would come to the studio with her. He had
nothing to do and was quite bored. Elvis must have noticed, because one day he brought a football to the set with him and asked Paul if wanted to catch some passes to help pass the time between shots. Paul said yes and they had a blast. He even drafted members of the Memphis Mafia into a game of flag football. Elvis chose Paul first for his team. Elvis really was a terrific guy.
Remember Me
Remember me with smiles and laughter, Because that is the way I will remember you all. If you can only remember me with tears, Then don't remember me at all. An Irish Poem of Remembrance In Memory of: Anissa Jones Paul Jones John Jones Brian Keith Daisy Keith Earl Graham Les Kaufman Sebastian Cabot Kay Cabot Rodney Jesse Tony Macchado Melody Trevino Bernie & Vy Geagan Connie Mutton Sity and Nana 
Anissa and her brother Paul
Paul Jones an avid Skater and Surfer
Anissa's childhood home 100 Rees Street
Dr. Moshos' Office in Torrance. He was the doctor who illegally
dispensed drugs to teenagers. Lines of kids would wrap around
the block spilling into the residential area behind the clinic.
LAPD had him under investigation since July, Anissa would
buy Seconol from him at the end of August.
Ten Years Later and Allan "Butch" Koven was still up to no good.
He appeared on E! Hollywood True Stories and didn't shed one tear
for the teenage girl who died in his bed of a drug overdose. Butch met
Anissa when her Pinto broke down in front of Winchell's Donuts.
She called Paul for help. While waiting for her "big" brother, she
waived off a neighbor, who never forgave himself, for not
\staying with her. Allan was a smooth talking drug dealer,
who tended to live off girlfriends. He spotted his prey driving up
Manchester and moved in on Anissa. As long as her "Family Affair"
money lasted it would be good times.
  
Helen Hennessy. Anissa died at her parent's house who were not at home.
Anissa and a boy who she was in love with on Hawaii. She stopped by
to see Brian Keith while they were there. Brian had offered her a
job on his new show which was filmed in Hawaii.
Anissa's favorite job was babysitting. Kids loved her. And her first car,
which she bought with Family Affair money, showing who she was, she
would also buy her brother a Camaro.
  
After the divorce, this was John Jones Apartment in Playa del Rey.
Les Kaufman loved Anissa and Paul. He bought Anissa a guitar for
her 13th birthday. Though it was a struggle, Anissa worked very
hard to learn how to play. When Anissa died in Oceanside, one
of the kids there stole her guitar. Paul begged everyone to find
it for him. He wanted it because it was very important to his sister
and she would have wanted him to have it. Paul would burst
into to tears talking about her guitar after she died.
Paul became a lost soul after Anissa's death. He had always been somewhat of a loner, friendly to his his surfer buddies, but still somewhat remote, unreachable. After Anissa died, he and his Mom became closer. She was one of the few people, excluding a girlfriend in the business, who remained by his side.  
A picture of Anissa that I remember from my childhood, I thought that it was so
cool that there was a girl who liked snakes.
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